Portable step-rail.



N0. 838,266. I, PATENTED-DEG. 11,1905;

0. W. MoKBE &LH." FINKBEINBR.

P URT'ABLE STEP RAIL.

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ITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PORTABLE STEP-RAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

Application filed February 10, 1906. Serial No. 300,410.

To all whom it 11mg concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES WV. McKnn and HENRY FINKBEINER, citizens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Portable Step-Rails, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in portable step-rails, and has for its object to provide a step-rail which may be quickly and easily attached and detached from stone steps, and a further object is to so construct the apparatus that the same can be sold at a comparatively small cost and yet be exceedingly durable.

\Vith these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompany ing drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a flight of steps, showing our improved rail applied thereto; Fig. 2, a plan view of one of the clamps Fig. 8, a crosssection of the end of a step, showing one of our improved clamps applied thereto.

In houses having stone steps it is the custom as winter approaches to provide said steps with temporary hand-rails for the pur pose of preventing persons when ascending or descending the steps from slipping upon the ice or snow accumulated thereon. This operation is usually accomplished by the expenditure of considerable time, labor, and material, and it is quite diflicult to attach temporary rails to stone steps, so that the same will be stable without considerable framework.

With our invention the hand-rails may be attached rigidly to the steps without any framework except the rails and the posts in a very short time and by any person, and the only tools required to secure the same in place is a wrench and screw-driver.

The rails may be just as easily detached in the spring and will take up comparatively small space in storing the same away.

A is the hand-rail, and B the upright posts secured thereto.

0 represents the clamps, each of which is composed of the two angle-irons D, one a11- gle-iron fitting over the upper corner of the end of the step and the other angle-iron fitting around the lower corner of the end of the step. These angle-irons have formed upon the back of the same bosses E through which are bored vertical bolt-holes E, and when the two angle-irons are arranged upon the upper and lower corners of the step the bosses E will be in line with one another, and then a bolt F is passed through both bosses, and a nut G is threaded upon the lower end of the bolt and tightened so as to clamp the angle-irons upon the step. Each of the angleirons has also formed upon the back the clips H, through which is passed a post B of the rail and are secured in the clips by means of screws I, screwed into the posts through the holes H, formed through the rear of the clips.

Any number of posts B and clamps C may be used; but it is found by experiment that in a flight of steps of only four or five two posts and clamps upon each side is all that is necessary.

Of course we do not wish to be limited to the exact construction here shown, as slight modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and useful is The combination of lates each having a horizontal and vertica section which embrace the edges of steps, apertured bosses on each vertical section, the apertures of one section alining with those of the companion section, the said bosses lying parallel with the ends of the steps, clamping-bolts extending through the bosses and being free of the steps, sockets on the sections between the bosses, and standards secured in the sockets.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto aflixed our signatures in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES W. MOKEE. HENRY FINKBEINER.

Witnesses:

MARY E. HAMER, S. F. WILLIAMSON 

